Neighborhood News

West Charlotte land trust nets $6 million with county funds

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The West Side Community Land Trust received $6 million to secure its largest acquisition to date, adding 32 properties to its portfolio of lasting affordable homes, the nonprofit announced Tuesday. Mecklenburg County commissioners earlier this year approved using American Rescue Plan Act money to acquire the homes in the Hoskins Road community in northwest Charlotte. Other donors, including Charlotte’s Fifth Third Bank who gave the largest private donation, round out the public-private partnership.

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West Boulevard grocery store project seeking solutions to food insecurity

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West Boulevard community leaders have been working for years to get a grocery store in their neighborhood. City leaders said Tuesday the pieces are finally in place to move forward with funding the Three Sisters Market on the corner of West Boulevard and Clanton Road.

The goal is to build a full-service store next to the Three Sisters urban farm, which seeks solutions for food insecurity in the historically underserved area.

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Three Sisters Market to open on West Boulevard in Charlotte

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After more than 20 years without a grocery store in the West Boulevard corridor, Charlotte residents have found a potential solution of their own — a co-op market. Three Sisters Market, an initiative by the West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition, has been in the works for eight years. The co-op grocery store recently received $3 million from county commissioners in addition to other funds from Congressional and city sources. The total cost of the project is expected to be about $10 million, and they have raised just over half that so far. “(Government officials) are really starting to understand how much of a dire need this is for our communities,” said Sharika Comfort, executive director of the coalition. “We are watering a desert.”

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From unsafe arterial to thriving main street

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Currently, West Boulevard in Charlotte is anything but a safe and comfortable walk. A narrow sidewalk directly abuts travel lanes where traffic goes 50 miles per hour. There are no street trees or parked cars to buffer pedestrians. Those on foot sense constant danger.

The alternative vision is a safe and walkable destination—an “urban main street”—according to Murphy Antoine, principal with Torti Gallas + Partners, urban designers in a CNU Legacy Project, cosponsored by the West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition (WBNC). “The idea of taming West Boulevard is important—it’s not just for cars to zip from Uptown to the airport,” he insists. “West Boulevard could be a place to visit, not just to drive through.”

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Residents in West Boulevard corridor make their voices heard

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Tuesday marked the start of a three-day charrette in Charlotte’s West Boulevard neighborhood. The forum allows residents to voice their concerns and outline a community-led vision for the corridor.

People were welcomed and directed toward multiple rows of chairs inside a room at Greater Mount Sinai Baptist Church in west Charlotte.

The West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition and Congress for the New Urbanism partnered with design consultants to help develop a walkable, affordable, aesthetically pleasing corridor based on community feedback.

Sharika Comfort is the executive director of the coalition comprised of 19 neighborhoods. She said it’s integral that community voices are part of the discussion when addressing gentrification and urban renewal in a corridor.

 “We wanted to hold a charrette to bring those who are going to be most impacted, our residents, our businesses, our families, our neighbors, into the conversation and actually have a voice in the development and redesign of the revitalization of West Boulevard,” Comfort said.

Listen to the full article here.

Get to know the West Boulevards branch community

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The West Boulevard Library is conveniently located along the West Boulevard Corridor on the bus line for ease of access. This close-knit community on the westside of Charlotte houses several long established neighborhoods. Serving as a meeting place for its residents, West Boulevard Library is a warm and welcoming community hub. The West Boulevard Branch’s world language collection contains a wide variety of Spanish materials for all ages, along with a sprinkling of other languages. The community looks to the staff of the West Boulevard Library for its digital literacy needs. This Library branch strives to develop and support partnerships with other community resources to enrich the lives of the residents.

Located within a mile of the Library is the Arbor Glen Outreach Facility, home of Clanton Road Community Park and Arbor Glen Recreation Center. The recreation center offers programming and sports for all ages. The park houses basketball courts, play equipment for children and features an outdoor bike playground where kids and adults can practice road biking etiquette.

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Community organizations ramp up revitalization efforts for West Boulevard corridor

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West of uptown Charlotte, the West Boulevard corridor stretches for about seven miles from South Tryon Street to Interstate 485 near Charlotte Douglas International Airport. There are a few convenience stores in the area, surrounded by a mix of old and new houses along tree-lined streets. Rickey Hall, board chair of the West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition, said the demographics are changing, but West Boulevard remains an African American part of Charlotte.

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West Boulevard Merchants’ Association Launch Meeting – August 23rd at 6 pm

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Are you a small business owner in the West Boulevard corridor? Join us for the launch of the West Boulevard Merchants’ Association! Our Merchants’ Association is an opportunity to highlight and support the small businesses in the West Boulevard corridor. Join us at the Launch Meeting and learn more about what a Merchants’ Association is, why you need to be a part, and help us to build out a Merchants’ Association that meets your business needs.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP FOR THIS FREE EVENT!